Understanding preferences for self-sampling in a national cervical screening programme: a protocol for a discrete...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Gynecologic Oncology

Background:

• Current cervical screening involves healthcare professional collection, facing access and acceptability barriers.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing enables self-sampling methods like vaginal and urine collection.
• Individual preferences for self-sampling features influencing cervical screening uptake remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and field a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to identify preferences for cervical screening self-sampling methods.
• To understand what features of self-sampling influence individuals' choices and screening behavior.

Main Methods:

• An online survey incorporating a DCE was developed.
• Attributes and levels were determined through literature review, expert input, and patient involvement.
• A D-efficient design generated choice sets, with regression analysis planned for attribute impact estimation.

Main Results:

• This section is not applicable as the abstract describes a study protocol.

Conclusions:

• This study protocol outlines the design of a DCE to investigate preferences for cervical screening self-sampling methods.
• Findings will inform the development of more acceptable and accessible cervical screening strategies, potentially increasing uptake.